UF vet performs femoral head ostectomy on mini horseJune 15, 2018One year after a femoral head ostectomy at the University of Florida Large Animal Hospital was performed on a miniature horse, Rico is thriving and back to his normal routine. "Rico was found down and nonweight bearing lame last spring in a field," said Taralyn McCarrel, DVM, an assistant professor of equine surgery at UF's College of Veterinary Medicine. "His veterinarian diagnosed a dislocated right hip and contacted us to see what we would do and what it might cost." Although it was unclear what had caused Rico's injury, trauma of some kind was suspected, Dr. McCarrel said. Rico's veterinarian, Jennifer Miller, DVM, said his injury was not one she'd seen often, and "certainly not in a full-sized horse." "The only horse that might have a surgical option would be a mini, so he had an opportunity that another horse might not have had, as surgery would just be too difficult," Dr. Miller said. A larger horse's weight would make even obtaining a diagnosis problematic, but she was able to get "pretty good" images of Rico's leg, she said, aiding in his diagnosis. Fortuitous funds At the time Miller responded to Rico's owner's call, she had a UF veterinary …
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